Tasty Chicken & Fennel Soup In A Crock Pot

Total Time: 6 hrs Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 5 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 fennel bulb, small, trimmed, quartered, thinly sliced
• 1 medium sweet onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
• 2 parsnips, peeled, thinly sliced
• 2 celery hearts, thinly sliced
• 1 tart apple, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup mushroom, button, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 8 skinless chicken thighs, deboned, remove all fat
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups apple cider
• 1 cinnamon stick, 2-inch piece
• 1/2 cup great beans, canned, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup orzo pasta
• 2 1/2 cups spinach, baby
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, good quality, coarsely shredded
• 1/8 cup asiago cheese, coarsely shredded

Recipe

• 1 lightly spray crock-pot with cooking spray.
• 2 in the crock pot add fennel, onion, carrot, parsnips, celery hearts, apple, mushrooms and garlic in slow cooker.
• 3 stir in 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper and make sure to spread the mixture evenly over the bottom of the pot.
• 4 cut the chicken thighs into 6 equal pieces. season the chicken chunks with the remaining salt and pepper.
• 5 next place the chicken on top of the vegetable mixture.
• 6 pour in the apple cider and chicken broth and cover.
• 7 set slow cooker on high and cook for 1 hour.
• 8 reduce heat to low setting and continue to cook for 2 additional hours.
• 9 next add the cinnamon stick, orzo and beans, cover and cook on low for 1 1/2 hours, then remove the cinnamon stick.
• 10 now check to see if orzo and chicken are tender and too your liking, if not, cook the soup for an additional 30 - 45 minutes.
• 11 place the baby spinach on top of the chicken but do not stir.
• 12 cover and continue to cook on low for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
• 13 now, turn off the heat, add the parmesan cheese and stir the spinach and cheese into the chicken soup, taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
• 14 garnish with the asiago cheese and serve with nice heavy bread and butter.